Roller skate construction

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a new roller skate construction in which an improved rigid sandal sole is uniquely combined with a sandal vamp and a pair of skate wheel trucks. The sole is formed in one piece and is provided with integrally molded-in truck support posts and a brake post, all of which project downwardly from the underside of the sole. An &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;orthopedic&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; sole surface, i.e., one in which the foot-engaging contours of the sole are specially contoured to conform closely to and to support completely and comfortably the contours of a human foot, is integrally formed on the upper surfaces of the new sandal skate sole. The vamp is affixed to medial portions of the lateral edges of the one-piece sole and secures the foot of a user directly to the orthopedic surfaces. A sling-back type of buckled foot strap extends across the vamp to secure the heel of the user within and upon the sandal structure formed by the cooperation of the new sole and vamp. A pair of skate trucks, each supporting a pair of roller bearing mounted wheels, are affixed in tandem to the integral truck support posts by a longitudinally extending bolt. Appropriate shock absorber pads of resilient synthetic or rubber material are interposed and compressed between the truck bodies and the bottom surfaces of the posts to enhance a wearer&#39;&#39;s comfort when using the new roller skates.

United States Patent Famolare, Jr.

[451 Aug. 26, 1975 1 ROLLER SKATE CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor: Joseph P. Famolare, Jr., Florence,

Italy [73] Assignee: Famolarf, Inc., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: May 28, I974 [21] Appl. No.: 473,337

[52] U.S. C1 280/1l.2; 280/11.28 [51] Int. Cl. A63c 17/14 [58] Field of Search 280/ll.20, 11.19, 11.27, 280/l1.28; 36/11.5, 7.6, 7.8

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,408,617 10/1946 Ferrar 280/1 1.19 2,901,259 8/1959 Williams 280/1 1.2 3,224,785 12/1965 Stevenson 280/1 1.2 3,306,623 2/1967 Wcitzner 280/1 1.2 3,355,184 l1/l967 Green 280/ll.l9 3,437,344 4/1969 Shevelson 280/1 1.2 3,698,108 10/1972 Brunner 36/1 1.5 3,700,253 10/1972 Heitfield 280/1 1.2 Dl6l,557 l/l95l Walker et a1. 280/11.l9X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 403,250 12/1933 United Kingdom 280/1 1.2 1,902,255 8/1970 Germany 36/1 1.5

Primary ExaminerDavid Schonberg Assistant ExaminerDavid M. Mitchell Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Mandeville and Schweitzer [57] ABSTRACT Disclosed herein is a new roller skate construction in which an improved rigid sandal sole is uniquely combined with a sandal vamp and a pair of skate wheel trucks. The sole is formed in one piece and is provided with integrally molded-in truck support posts and a brake post, all of which project downwardly from the underside of the sole. An orthopedic sole surface, i.e., one in which the foot-engaging contours of the sole are specially contoured to conform closely to and to support completely and comfortably the contours of a human foot, is integrally formed on the upper surfaces of the new sandal skate sole. The vamp is affixed to medial portions of the lateral edges of the one-piece sole and secures the foot of a user directly to the orthopedic surfaces. A sling-back type of buckled foot strap extends across the vamp to secure the heel of the user within and upon the sandal structure formed by the cooperation of the new sole and vamp. A pair of skate trucks, each supporting a pair of roller bearing mounted wheels, are affixed in tandem to the integral truck support posts by a longitudinally extending bolt. Appropriate shock absorber pads of resilient synthetic or rubber material are interposed and compressed between the truck bodies and the bottom surfaces of the posts to enhance a wearers comfort when using the new roller skates.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures J 9% o; 44 H I4 42 H ROLLER SKATE CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Roller skates have been long known to the art and over the years have assumed a wide variety of constructions and designs. Most of the recent developmental work in the art has been directed to improvements in skate wheels, wheel trucks, and other means of mounting skate wheels, either permanently or temporarily to the feet of a skater. Typically, so-called shoe skates, i.e., permanently attached skate wheelsand shoes, have been in the form of high laced, buttoned or buckled shoes and a tandem pair of skate wheels.

The present invention is directed to a significant improvement in permanent roller skates or wheeled land vehicles (as catagorized in Class 280 of the US. Patent Office) of the type in which four wheels are permanently secured to a foot-supporting structure. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an improved skate structure in the general form of a sandal comprised of a rigid, one-piece sole of molded plastic material having upper contoured or orthopedie surfaces and including depending truck support posts to mount the sandal in elevated relation to pairs of wheels mounted in tandem beneath said posts. Additionally, the new sandal skate includes an integrally formed brake post disposed beneath the toe portions of the orthopedic sole for the purposes of providing a built-in toe brake which may be covered with a hard wearing brake pad of appropriate material such as rubber, synthetic rubber of the like.

A simple one-piece vamp is affixed to the medial lateral side edges of the orthopedic sole by fasteners such as decorative nails to define therewith an opened toe sandal. Advantageously, the sandal is provided with a so-called sling back by the provision of a longitudinally extending foot strap secured to the rear edges of the vamp for the purpose of encircling the heel of the user and retaining the foot of the user within the vamp and firmly seated upon the sole, with the contours of the sole of the user in registry with the orthopedic contours of the sandal sole.

The new sandal skate lends itself to ready and economical large scale mass production by virtue of the simplicity of its design, the limited number and simplicity of its elements, and the ease with which the various elements may be rapidly assembled into the new sandal skate.

For a more complete understanding of the principles of the invention and for a better appreciation of all its attendant advantages and benefits, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred, exemplary embodiment of the sandal skate of the present invention taken in conjunction with the illustrations thereof in the accompanying sheet of drawmgs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a new and improved sandal roller skate embodying the principles of the present invention with portions of the integral rear truck-supporting post cut away to show details of assembly;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the new and improved skate of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the new and improved sandal skate of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Referring now to FIG. 1, the new sandal skate 10 of the present invention comprises a specially configured one-piece molded sole 11 including an integral downwardly projecting toe brake 12, an integral front skate wheel truck-supporting post 13, and an integral rear skate wheel truck-supporting post 14. The sole 11 has its upper surfaces 15 especially contoured to provide a so-called orthopedic construction which conforms generally to the contours of a human foot. That is to say, the surface 15 includes an elevated convex central arch supporting portion 16, as well as a concave heel supporting portion 17 and contoured toe supporting portions having a longitudinal convex peak portion 18 separating shallow concave valley portions 19 supporting the big toe on one side of the peak 18 and the remaining toes.on the other side. A transverse concave portion 18a for supporting the ball of the foot of the skater is located between the toe and arch portions 16, 18. As will be understood, the support of a roller skaters foot by a rigid, orthopedically contoured sole of the type disclosed herein reduces foot strain, provides substantial and uniform support for the sole of the foot of the user, and provides substantial comfort.

A simple, one-piece vamp 20, advantageously a fabric lined thermoplastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is fastened by decorative nails 21, or by other appropriate fasteners or adhesive, to the medial, lateral edges 22 of the orthopedic sole 11, as shown in each view of the drawings. An encircling heel strap 23 is secured to the rear edges of the instep side of the vamp 20 with appropriate lines of stitching (not shown) or by other suitable means such as mechanical fasteners or an adhesive. Advantageously, the heel strap 23 includes a series of eyelets 24 adjacent its free end portion, which eyelets may be selectively engaged and held by a buckle 25 secured to the opposite rear edge of the vamp 20 by a short buckle strap 26 similarly attached to the vamp by stitching 27 or other suitable fastening means, in known fashion. It will be appreciated that a firm, yet comfortable fit of the users foot on the orthopedic sole may be achieved by the selective tightening of the heel strap, in known fashion. Of course, other types of vamps and heel straps may be employed without departing from the teachings of the invention, as should be appreciated.

As shown in FIG. 1 and in accordance with the principles of the invention, the front and rear support posts 13 and 14 are molded integrally with the skate sole 1 l, as is the brake member 12. Specifically, the posts 13 and 14 are spacedz'inwardly of the peripheral edges of the sole 11 and are disposed beneath the heelsupporting portions 17 of the sole and beneath the ball of the foot supporting portion 18a of the sole, as illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, in a sole having a length of approximately 9.50 inches (24.5 centimeters) the centerline of the front post will be located approximately 3.0 inches (7.6 centimeters) inwardly of the front edge of the sole, while the centerline of the rear post 14 will be located approximately 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) inwardly of the rear edge of the sole. It is to be understood, of course, that the orthopedic sole contemplated for use in the practice of the present invention will be individually sized in whole and/or half conventional shoe sizes or custom made to fit the feet of all skaters.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a pair of skate wheel trucks 40, 41, formed from bent and embossed sheet metal, are fastened to the posts 14, 13, respectively, by bolts 42, 43 which pass through the opposite end walls 46 of the trucks 40, 41 as well as through longitudinal holes 44, 45 extending across the posts 14, 13, as shown in FIG. 1. Resilient clips 42', 43 (or nuts, if desired) engage the ends of the bolts to hold them in place. The skate trucks 40, 41 include spaced, parallel vertical walls 46 and tabs 46a (FIG. 3) integral with horizontal wall portions 47, which confine and compress resilient shock absorbing pads 48 of rubber, neoprene, or the like between the lowermost horizontal surfaces 49, 50 of the posts 14, 13, respectively, and the skate wheel trucks. More specifically, each of the trucks includes a tubular portion 55 which supports a threaded axle 60, which, in turn, mounts through spherical roller bearings (not shown) the front and rear pairs of skate wheels 51, in conventional fashion, for free wheeling rotation. The wheels are secured to the axles by means of lock nuts 52.

In accordance with an important, specific aspect of the present invention, the new and improved roller skate of the present invention includes an integral toe brake member 12 which projects downwardly and slightly forwardly from the lower surfaces of the rigid sole 11. An appropriate cap-like cover of suitable brake pad material, e.g., rubber, rubber-like synthetic, or the like, is telescoped over the bottom 12 of the brake and is fastened thereto by a staple 53, or by adhesive or any other suitable fastener. The toe brake 12 may be employed in known manner, to stop the rolling progress of the'skater merely by pivoting of the new sandal skate about the forward axle to bring the brake pad member 54 into braking contact with the floor surface upon which the skater is moving.

As shown in FIG. 1, it has been found advantageous and desirable to have the sole 11 elevated well above the skate wheels 51 with the rearmost portions of the sole of the sandal skate being elevated more than the forwardmost portions. By way of example, in a sandal skate having 2.0 inch (5.1 centimeters) diameter skate wheels (standard sized skate wheels), the heel supporting surfaces 17 are elevated approximately 4.3 inches 10.8 centimeters) with respect to the ground, while the ball of the supporting surfaces 18a of the sole are elevated approximately 3.3 inches (8.3 centimeters) above the ground. The posts 13, 14 are advantageously rectangular in cross section, as shown in FIG. 2, and may have recesses (not shown) formed at the bottom surfaces 49 thereof to enhance the seating of the shock absorber 48. Of course, it is to be understood that the specific proportioning of the heights of the front and rear posts 13, 14, as well as their specific positioning, may be varied slightly without departing from the principles of the invention.

It will be appreciated that the above-described new sandal skate provides a new and improved roller skate which may be manufactured at high volume and low cost by conventional manufacturing techniques, employing readily available and economical thermoplastic materials. Thus, the sole and its integral brake member 12 and integral truck supporting posts 13, 14 may be unitarily injection molded from high impact polystyrene (PS), urethane plastomer-PVC alloys, polyurethane foams, or other moldable, high strength plastic materials, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) or the like; the vamp 20 and straps 23, 26 may be in the form of simple strips of cloth fabric-lined vinyl; and the vamp may be easily fastened to the sole by nailing, adhesives, welding, or like conventional techniques.

It is to be understood that the sandal skate herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims to ascertain the full scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A sandal skate comprising a. a one-piece, rigid thermoplastic sole means having shaped convex and concave upper surface portions configured to conform to the contours of a human foot for the firm, uniform, and comfortable support thereof;

b. front and rear vertical posts integral with and projecting downwardly from the lower surfaces of said sole means;

0. front and rear truck means each supporting an axle therein;

d. a pair of skate wheels mounted for free wheeling rotation adjacent the ends of said axles;

e. fastening means securing said front and rear truck means to said posts with said axles parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said sole means;

f. an integral toe brake extending downwardly from forward peripheral underside portions of said sole means;

g. a brake pad being mounted on said integral toe brake;

h. said front and rear posts being generally rectangular in cross section having generally parallel front and rear walls and having generally parallel side walls;

i. said post side walls being straddled by said skate wheels and said front and rear walls being engaged and generally clamped between parallel vertical wall portions of said truck means;

j. a resilient shock absorbing pad being disposed between said truck means and the bottom walls of said front and rear vertical posts, and

k. said shock absorbing pad being maintained in compression;

I. said means mounting said trucks to said posts comprising a longitudinally extending bolt extending through said wall portions of said truck means and longitudinal holes formed in each of said posts;

m. a vamp being fastened to the medial lateral edges of said sole means;

n. a heel strap being fastened to and bridging the rear edges of said vamp;

0. whereby said upper contoured surfaces of said sole means are elevated substantially above said skate wheels. 

1. A sandal skate comprising a. a one-piece, rigid thermoplastic sole means having shaped convex and concave upper surface portions configured to conform to the contours of a human foot for the firm, uniform, and comfortable support thereof; b. front and rear vertical posts integral with and projecting downwardly from the lower surfaces of said sole means; c. front and rear truck means each supporting an axle therein; d. a pair of skate wheels mounted for free wheeling rotation adjacent the ends of said axles; e. fastening means securing said front and rear truck means to said posts with said axles parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said sole means; f. an integral toe brake extending downwardly from forward peripheral underside portions of said sole means; g. a brake pad being mounted on said integral toe brake; h. said front and rear posts being generally rectangular in cross section having generally parallel front and rear walls and having generally parallel side walls; i. said post side walls being straddled by said skate wheels and said front and rear walls being engaged and generally clamped between parallel vertical wall portions of said truck means; j. a resilient shock absorbing pad being disposed between said truck means and the bottom walls of said front and rear vertical posts, and k. said shock absorbing pad being maintained in compression; l. said means mounting said trucks to said posts comprising a longitudinally extending bolt extending through said wall portions of said truck means and longitudinal holes formed in each of said posts; m. a vamp being fastened to the medial lateral edges of said sole means; n. a heel strap being fastened to and bridging the rear edges of said vamp; o. whereby said upper contoured surfaces of said sole means are elevated substantially above said skate wheels. 